EMMY NOMINATIONS & GARTH BROOKS GOES DIGITAL
****
THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
****
 |
| Garth Brooks |
EMMY MADNESS --- In the months leading to this year’s Primetime Emmy nominations, which were just announced, a lot of attention had been focused on HBO’s decision to enter the eight-episode True Detective as a drama, Showtime switching Shameless from drama to comedy series after three seasons, and Netflix entering Orange Is the New Black as a comedy after submitting it as a drama for the Golden Globes.
Controversy aside, the moves proved fine for all three. True Detective and Orange Is The New Black each netted 12 noms – a particularly strong showing for freshman series — to tie veteran Downton Abbey and Seth MacFarlane’s documentary Cosmos as the fourth-most-nominated primetime series. Both landed noms in all major categories they were eligible for including best drama (True Detective) and comedy series (Orange), best lead actor/actress, best writing, directing and casting.
Meanwhile, after a single Emmy nom for each of its first three seasons competing as a drama series — all for recurring guest actress Joan Cusack — Shameless more than doubled its Emmy tally with three noms this year. That includes a break into the lead actor category for star William H. Macy, joined by Cusack, nominated for a fourth consecutive time, and a mention for stunt coordination.
As expected, newcomer True Detective shook up the drama series race in a big way. It pushed out Showtime’s Homeland, which for the first time fell out of the best drama series category it won in 2012. In the top drama series field, True Detective is joining last year’s nominees Breaking Bad, Game Of Thrones, House Of Cards and Mad Men, firming up the expected big showdown between the departing Breaking Bad and upstart True Detective for the big prize. (Veteran Breaking Bad has the edge in the total number of nominations with 16).
A strong season punctuated by one of TV’s most talked about character demises and an aggressive Emmy campaign wasn’t enough for The Good Wife to return to the crowded best drama series field (but its star Julianna Margulies re-joined the best lead drama actress circle after a year off and Josh Charles earned a second Emmy nom after the death of his character). The CBS series was commercial broadcast TV’s best shot at a best drama series nom after being shut out of the top drama category for the last two years.
Also denied entry into the marquee drama race were a slew of buzzy first-and second-year cable series such as Masters Of Sex, The Americans and Ray Donovan.
We can’t say any of them came close as both the best drama and comedy fields remained limited to six nominees this year, despite TV Academy’s rule change that allowed for seven entries in each of the top categories if a show’s voting tally came in within 2% of the sixth-place series.
With perennial best series nominee 30 Rock gone and Parks & Recreation once again snubbed, broadcast TV’s presence in the best comedy series category shrunk from three to two this year: reigning champ Modern Family, which is looking to extend its winning streak to five best series trophies, and ratings juggernaut The Big Bang Theory.
That marks the fewest broadcast entries ever in the top comedy series category, which only three years ago featured an all-broadcast field. With the complete drama shutout, this also marks the fewest total combined best series nominations (two) for ad-supported broadcast shows in history.
Joining Modern Family and Big Bang in the top comedy category are fellow returning nominees, FX’s Louie and HBO’s Veep, and newcomers Orange Is The New Black and Silicon Valley. Mike Judge’s well-received but under-the-radar software industry comedy was the surprise contender in the category, bumping off fellow HBO comedy Girls after two years in the field.
It’s been years since a first-year broadcast series has landed a best drama series nomination (Heroes, 2007) or a best comedy series nomination (Modern Family, Glee, 2010). Last year, the freshman broadcast class yielded a lead acting nom for Nashville’s Connie Britton. This year, with Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine and its star Andy Samberg snubbed, along with The Blacklist and leading man (and TV Academy favorite) James Spader and Mom’s Anna Faris, the only presence of the new broadcast series is in the supporting comedy categories via Brooklyn’s Andre Braugher and Mom’s Allison Janney (a double nominee, also honored for her guest starring role on Showtime’s Masters Of Sexafter winning for both at the Critics Choice Awards).
True Detective’s biggest impact was in the lead actor in a drama series category, with its two stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson both getting noms, making for one the most competitive fields in years that features two Oscar winners, McConaughey and Kevin Spacey of House Of Cards; an Oscar nominee, Harrelson; Emmy winners Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad and Jeff Daniels of HBO’s The Newsroom; as well as Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, who is looking for his first win after six nominations.
On the distaff side, all actresses nominated last year who are eligible again are in: reigning two-time winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), previous winner Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), current Golden Globe champ Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation) as well as Lena Dunham (Girls).
We cannot understand why Spader was snubbed so severely. His show, The Blacklist, as well as his performances, were total standouts. Another critic perhaps said it perfectly …. For a show that seemed like it was on CBS; it was treated like a CBS show anyhow … snubbed!
SONY BROOKS --- Garth Brooks and Sony Music held simultaneous news conferences Wednesday, announcing details of Brook’s upcoming album. Sony’s CEO Doug Morris announced the project will be promoted and marketed via Sony Music Nashville, specifically the RCA imprint.
Expect the album around Thanksgiving, with a new single provisionally due next month.
The album will be available in all retailers, not just Walmart, where he had an exclusive deal with for his "Blame It On All On My Roots" box set that was released last November.
As someone who has always been reluctant to go digital, Garth said at the press conference, "We've never allowed ourselves to go digital. That will begin within the next two or three weeks. Digital will be handled at GarthBrooks.com. It will be the only place you can get Garth Brooks music."
Additionally, Brooks will stage a worldwide tour that will be announced on Monday, July 14.
WHO’S WHO --- Pete Townshend called some Guardian online readers c**ts earlier this week (that is the ones that posted inane responses to his articles) at a press conference announcing The Who at 50 anniversary tour.
Members of the press gathered at Ronnie Scott's jazz outpost in the U. K. to hear the news and a fantastic acoustic 4 song set from Townsend and Roger Daltry, which included “Substitute,” “Bargain,” “The Kids Are Alright” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
It was during a short Q&A with the two legends afterwards, that the outburst came. When asked by a Guardian journalist if we could expect any new material Pete commented “Can I comment on that, can I comment, like the c**ts that comment on the Guardian online?”
The short outburst had the media in stitches and Pete went on to answer the question saying that The Who have 3 new tracks which they are going to record soon.
Watch their interview and musical set here.
BEAR’S EMMY NOD --- Composer Bear McCreary earned his third Emmy nomination for Main Titles Theme for STARZ’s Black Sails. McCreary won the Emmy award in the same category last year for Da Vinci’s Demons.
“I knew when I had the chance to team up once again with show runner Jonathan E. Steinberg and the supportive team at STARZ that they would push me to write something unusual for this unique pirate drama. When I dusted off my hurdy gurdy and started writing a heavy metal sea shanty, I never imagined that one day it would be nominated for an Emmy! I am thrilled and grateful for this recognition, and to be in such stellar company as my fellow nominees,” said McCreary.
CLOSING NOTES --- Multi-Grammy award winning artist Bruno Mars received his first Emmy Award nomination today. Mars’ record breaking Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show was nominated for Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program. Nominees in the same category include Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama, Children’s Hospital, Parks And Rec In Europe, and The Soup: True Detective …
As we go to press Rosie O'Donnell has been confirmed to return to ABC's The View. So, that leave her ... and, Whoopi? More on this next time and Elisabeth Hasselbeck's surprising response ...
Micky Dolenz was interviewed on CNN about their Sixties program; last nights installment's on the show was The British Invasion. Catch Dolenz at BB King's on July 30.
Comments